<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Whumptober 2020 - 17 - Guilty? by Celticgal1041</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27067852">Whumptober 2020 - 17 - Guilty?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041'>Celticgal1041</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Arrested, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Prison, Whump, Whumptober 2020, guilty, mentions of TC and Higgins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:27:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27067852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celticgal1041/pseuds/Celticgal1041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I’m guilty. Whatever they say I did, I did it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Whumptober 2020 - 17 - Guilty?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I make a reference in this story to MA, which stands for Master-at-Arms or those responsible for law enforcement in the Navy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Magnum sat in the sedan, his back ramrod straight and his hands cuffed behind him, sightlessly watching the scenery pass by. His mind was elsewhere, and he couldn’t be bothered to keep track of where they were, already familiar with their destination.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He’d been initially surprised when approached by the trio of NCIS agents, the two men and one woman appearing exceptionally wary given they were approaching a guy wearing flip flops, boardshorts, and a loud Hawaiian shirt. He’d initially thrown them one of his trademark grins until he took in their sombre faces as they beelined towards him in La Mariana’s parking lot. That was his first clue that he wasn’t going to enjoy his time conversing with them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His expression hardened to something less welcoming though not quite intimidating, wanting to strike a balance in case his Spidey senses were wrong. The first words from Agent Taylor shot that hope to hell, and minutes later, he was under arrest and in the agents’ custody.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>‘Higgins is gonna freak,’ he thought to himself, imagining her making small talk with their latest potential client while she waited for the P.I.’s arrival. He’d been only minutes away from making that meeting, even having arrived early at La Mariana after completing another errand. Sadly, Higgins wouldn’t care much for his good intentions, only the results, which was him missing a client meeting – again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>While Juliet’s censure would be scathing, with references to his immaturity and unreliability, it was Rick and TC’s opinions he cared about the most. He knew, without a doubt, that they would try to come to his defense, and would fail spectacularly no matter what they did. Worse would be when they ferreted out the truth; Thomas closed his eyes momentarily at the ache that settled into his chest at the thought of that outcome.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re here,” the female agent announced, prompting Magnum to open his eyes as he waited for someone to open his door so he could exit the vehicle. He was escorted inside the low-slung building, past curious faces and directly into an interrogation room where he sat on a hard metal chair. With two agents flanking him, one hand was carefully released from the cuffs, only for both of them to be reattached again in front of him, this time with the chain looped underneath a sturdy metal bar that was fixed to the table he was seated at.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Magnum asked, “Being a bit overcautious, aren’t we?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He received dual scowls in return, before being left alone. Uselessly, he tugged at the bar, finding it just as strong as he’d expected. Resigned, he let out a slow sigh, letting his arms rest along the top of the table as he settled in to wait. His mind drifted, partly with boredom and partly to relive the details of the mission that was now coming back to bite him squarely in the ass.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Do you have eyes on the target?” the voice in his ear asked.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Eyes on, confirmed,” Magnum replied, keeping his gait casual as he moved through the scattered stalls selling their wares. The man he was trailing was thirty feet away, and Thomas hoped his target would make his way out of the town square soon so he could get on with things.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Remember, this has to be done without anyone else noticing,” he was reminded by his handler.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Magnum replied,” Copy that.” While these types of operations weren’t the norm for him, he was fully aware of how sensitive this one was. Not to mention the whole matter of slipping away afterwards, something he was more likely to be able to do without an angry mob nipping at his heels.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Finally, his target seemed ready to leave, and Thomas drifted to a closer stall in preparation to follow. Adjusting his headscarf just slightly to cover the movement of his lips, he informed his handler, “Target is on the move. Moving into position now.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Maintaining his nonchalant gait, he closed the distance between himself and the departing man. His lips twitched upwards slightly when he saw his target turn into one of the many small alleys that led from the square, thanking his luck when he found it deserted except for himself and the other man. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>With a quick glance over his shoulder, he confirmed they were still alone, even as his right hand reached inside the long robe he wore to grip the syringe he’d been given. Speeding his step, he closed the distance between himself and his target, thanking whoever had designed the town for the narrow space, which would make it easier to get in close to the other man. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>As he bumped into his objective, his right hand shifted to plunge the short needle into the man’s thigh, retracting it just as quickly to once more hide beneath his flowing robe. A word of apology slipped from his lips as he continued on, leaving his target behind as he rapidly walked away. When he was comfortable that enough distance had passed, he spoke into his hidden mic. “Target neutralized. Heading to exfil now.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Copy that, target neutralized. Exfil waiting for your arrival,” the voice in his ear confirmed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>He had no idea why he’d been chosen for the mission, but he’d been happy that he had. The man he’d killed had been a local ISIS leader who’d committed atrocities on the families of those opposing him, with a favored target being young children.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Given that Magnum had yet to be deployed back to his unit after recovering from an injury, and Nuzo had been back in the States to visit his parents., it had seemed like an ideal time to put his skills to use, albeit in a somewhat different way than he’d imagined when he’d first enlisted. Now, it appeared he’d be paying for his participation in what he knew had been a barely sanctioned op.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was pulled from his thoughts when a man entered the room, and Magnum observed him with interest as he took the seat across from him, calmly placing a folder onto the table. “My name is Jeff Stone,” the man began, prompting Thomas to cock his head in curiosity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re not NCIS or MA,” Magnum stated confidently, his gut warning him again that things were about to get much worse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stone smiled coldly but didn’t dispute Thomas’ claim. “I’m a servant of Uncle Sam, just like everyone else here,” he replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“CIA,” Magnum said. “Which means you know exactly what went down during the op you’re now arresting me for.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The agent opened the file in front of him, casually flipping through various pages of typed information before landing on a picture of the target Thomas had eliminated. Picking up the photo, Stone turned it around and pushed it in Magnum’s direction. “You know this man?” Thomas remained silent, getting the overwhelming feeling that he was being to be thrown under the proverbial bus for some reason.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He was killed in an unsanctioned operation in Iraq,” Stone continued, earning him a raised eyebrow but nothing more. “We’d like to discuss your involvement in this op.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Weighing his options, Magnum finally asked, “Why all the interest in something that happened nearly a decade ago?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stone smirked, and his expression reminded Thomas of a shark going in for the kill. “His brother is now a fairly high-ranking member of the Iraqi government, and he’s raising a ruckus with the State Department about his brother having been assassinated by a member of the US military.” When Thomas remained silent, he continued, “You were sloppy. He saw you and then managed to exchange enough favours to find out his brother had been assassinated by an American.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And there it was – the real reason for his arrest. He was about to be sacrificed in the name of politics. Steeling his resolve, Magnum said, “I’d like my one phone call now.” He wasn’t sure his request would actually be granted, recognizing that civil liberties that were often taken for granted didn’t necessarily apply within the military.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stone’s smirk was back as he replaced the photo in the file and closed it in preparation to stand. Pushing his chair back as he rose to his feet, he said, “Someone will be in shortly to escort you while you make your call.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although he was surprised, Magnum maintained a neutral expression as he watched the other man retreat from the room. There was no way the CIA would do anything that wasn’t in their best interests, which meant they were counting on Thomas to stifle any potential resistance to his arrest. He hated that they’d pegged him so accurately.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Minutes later, he got to endure the handcuff game once more as his hands were released from the bar, and then replaced to keep his hands restrained in front of him. He was led to a small niche in the hallway where a phone hung from the wall “You have three minutes,” his guard informed him before moving to stand only a couple feet away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inhaling deeply, Magnum picked up the handset, dialing the number by memory as he girded himself for what was to come. “Rick,” he began as soon as the call was answered. “Don’t talk; just listen. I’ve been arrested, and there’s no chance of getting me released.” He winced for a moment at Wright’s expletive, but pressed on, interrupting his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I won’t ask you not to stick your nose into this, because I know you will, no matter what I say, but you need to know this – I’m guilty. Whatever they say I did, I did it.” Pausing, he drew a deep breath. “You and TC, the times we had with Nuzo – those are some of the best times of my life.” He could envision Rick chomping at the bit to jump in and speak, Thomas’ words creating nothing but questions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m grateful I had brothers like you to watch out for me. Please, if you cared for me at all, just let this drop.” He could hear Rick inhaling in preparation to speak and spoke quickly to cut him off. “I love you guys, man.” With that, he hung up the phone, unwilling to hear his friend’s reply. Turning to his guard, he said, “I’m done.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>A little-known fact about NCIS is that they don’t have their own holding cells. Instead, they rely upon local facilities to temporarily house those they’ve arrested until they’re either prosecuted and remanded to a federal jail or found innocent and released. For Thomas, that meant Halawa.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The thought of spending any time at all on the same side of the bars as many of the people he’d helped get arrested opened a deep pit of anxiety in Magnum’s belly. Some weren’t a big deal, like the ones involved in white collar crimes, but the more hardened criminal element was hardly going to waste an opportunity to get some payback.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Far too quickly, he arrived at the jail, enduring the same process that greeted all new inmates. He stoically endured the various checks to confirm he wasn’t carrying anything he wasn’t supposed to be and dressed reluctantly in the white shirt and bright orange coveralls that were standard for all of the inmates.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he’d finished, he was escorted once more, this time by two prison guards, and he prayed they knew enough not to put him in general population. “You’ll be in a restricted access section for those awaiting trial,” one of his escorts said as he opened another door and motioned for Magnum to pass through. Thomas couldn’t help but release a low sigh of relief at the knowledge that he wouldn’t be mixing with already convicted felons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The guard in the lead stopped at a solid metal door. He slid open a grate positioned at eye level, allowing him to look inside, before swiping an electronic key card along an adjacent reader to unlock the door. “Home, sweet home,” he said to Magnum with a smirk as he stood aside to let the investigator enter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Turn around,” the man ordered as soon as Thomas crossed the threshold, and the P.I. did as he was asked, reluctantly turning his back to the cell’s interior so his handcuffs could be removed. “Have a nice night,” the guard stated in closing as he stepped out of the doorway so the cell door could close.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Slowly, Magnum turned to look around, stunned to find that he wasn’t alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well hey there, Mr. Private Eye,” the man across from him drawled, causing Thomas’ stomach to sink even further.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Rick stared at his phone in stunned silence. Had Tommy just called to say good-bye? And what did he mean, he was guilty? Guilty of what?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Question after question raced through his brain, until he ruthlessly stopped himself and decided to act. “First thing, call TC,” he muttered to himself, hopeful the other man might have some insight into Magnum’s strange call.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Several minutes later he was no further ahead, having spoken to TC, then Higgins, and finally Katsumoto. No one had any clue what was going on, despite Thomas’ claim that he’d been arrested. They’d agreed to meet immediately at Robin’s Nest where a plan of action could be hatched.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rick absently informed one of the bartenders of his departure and headed to his car, his mind churning with a myriad of questions that did nothing but ramp up his worry.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“I prefer private investigator,” Magnum automatically replied, cringing to himself as he took in the size of the man across from him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Noa Okupu was a small-time drug dealer who Thomas had stumbled upon quite accidentally during a missing person’s case. When Magnum had discovered the dealer catered to underaged kids, he’d had no compunction whatsoever about turning him in to HPD. Noa had been rightfully upset with him, but for Thomas, it was just another day on the job, and he’d promptly forgotten all about the other man – until now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Okupu chuckled mirthlessly at the P.I.’s rebuttal. “Always did have a big set on you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum smiled in reply, already calculating how many moves it would take to shift the other man from aggressor to benign cellmate. Having reached a conclusion, he stepped forward, his hand outstretched in conciliation. “No hard feelings?” he extended as he drew closer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nah, you was just doing your job,” Noa replied, already rising from the bench that jutted from the wall to shake the P.I.’s hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as Noa’s balance shifted, Magnum drew his arm back and punched. The blow caught Okupu squarely on the nose, blood immediately rushing forth. Before Noa could recover, Thomas struck again, this time aiming two jabs at the larger man’s unprotected ribs which caused the air to be expelled from his lungs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Noa folded in half to protect his flank, Magnum stepped closer to grab the other man’s head, bringing his knee up at the same time to score a final, debilitating blow. His chance was stolen from him as Okupu grabbed his upraised leg, yanking hard to throw Thomas off-balance and send him crashing to the floor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Magnum scrambled to his feet and danced backwards, needing to get out of the other man’s reach, but Noa was nearly on top of him. With a growl of rage, Okupu swung a meaty fist at the investigator’s side, the blow pushing the air from his lungs. Before he could do more than stagger back a step, Noa struck again, landing a second hit to almost the same exact spot as before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thomas backpedaled again, scanning the room for something he could use to his advantage and finding nothing. He was barely able to breathe against the ache in his side and was certain a couple ribs were now cracked at the very least. Forcing himself to take a deeper breath, he prepared to call out for a guard, stunned into silence a second later when a third blow landed on his flank.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The sound of bone snapping could be heard even over both men’s laboured breaths, Noa grinning freakishly through the blood still pouring from his nose. “Not looking so good there, Mr. Private Eye,” he taunted as Magnum shifted his stance in an effort to protect his damaged side.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Okupu feinted left and then quickly shifted right, the move catching Thomas off guard and leaving his broken ribs unprotected once again. It felt like he’d just taken a battering ram to the side. Magnum’s knees folded and his lungs seized as electricity flared hotly in his chest. His world whited out and his fingers scrabbled helplessly at the tile flooring, desperate for any relief from the debilitating pain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Above him, Noa laughed and planted a fierce kick in the investigator’s chest. The hit drew nothing more than a soft grunt from Magnum, lacking the breath to even voice his pain. Okupu came down to one knee and hissed in Thomas’ ear. “Don’t worry, Mr. Private Eye, you ain’t gonna live long enough to be convicted.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With those words, Noa pressed his other knee down harshly on Magnum’s side and Thomas could clearly feel the moment when something inside him broke. A soft gasp escaped his parted lips and then his world faded away, the blackness overtaking him and stealing away his suffering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To be continued tomorrow in my day 18 prompt fill…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Many thanks to AZGirl for proofing; all remaining mistakes are mine.</p>
<p>This story was based on the day 17 prompt: I did not see that coming: blackmail / dirty secret / wrongfully accused</p>
<p>Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>